Bravely Default Walkthrough, Part Nineteen: Eternian Central Command

- Approach the enormous building. Victor and Victoria will show up to spoil your day again; and, once again, something will muck up with the little Witch. They'll escape into Eternian Central Command.

- Ahead is a robed save dude. Utilize his services, then head east through the adjoining door. (Note that if you need to level for the coming fight, the battles in this foyer are much more straightforward than anything you'll face on the World Map. Y'know, for automation purposes. Just sayin'.)

- Cut scene. So that's what's up with her.

Victor, Victoria

Finally time to settle the score. Victor and Victoria are as brutal as your last fight with the pair, but you're now a whoooole lot stronger, and they're consequently more manageable. Victoria is the primary attacker here; she'll spend the battle using high-hitting Darkness spells that infilct a fair amount of damage, as well as an all-hitting Poison attack that will inflict poison status on everyone. Worse, she'll use an attack called Eradication which will deal serious damage to anyone who is poisoned (but nothing to anyone who isn't). She can also trigger a countdown attack with Corpse that will kill a character after four rounds. Victor is less dangerous, and he'll spend most of the time either buffing himself and Victoria or using Holy when they're both at full strength. When Victoria's HP begins to wane, he'll use Curada on her to restore somewhere in the realm of 2,500 HP per use.

Painful, but not impossible. Victoria loves Poison, and you can nullify its effectiveness completely by equipping everyone with Star Pendants. This will cause Victoria to waste a large number of her attacks. That done, it's merely a game of beating on Victoria and depleting her HP as fast as possible. Build up BP points while waiting out her Darkness attacks, then unleash everything you've got on the little sadist. After she falls, Victor will concentrate almost all of his efforts on hitting you with Holy; this is painful, but very easy to manage with repeated uses of Default.

- Beating these two nutters will earn you the Arcanist and Spiritmaster asterisks. Take your leave of this funky lab and return to the main corridor.

- Cut scene ahead. Oh dear, that's not good.

- Jump to Edea. After a little while, Edea will wind up as the solo member of the party. You can inspect her bed to sleep, if you wish; otherwise, leave here. Father and daughter will finally have a face-to-face chat.

- After some more cut scenes, Edea will be in the dungeons. Watch the Party Chat, then run around the dungeons and free everyone. There's also a Light Curtain in the bottom-right corner of the area, 5000 pg in the bottom-left, an X-Potion in the top-right, and 3000 pg beside Ringabel's cell. Last, before climbing the stairs, check the southern wall nearby; you'll find a secret passage leading east, into a locked cell. Inside is an Excalibur. (Why couldn't you just open the door with the key?)

- Up the stairs to B1. Head straight north to an eastern passage. To your immediate left is a semi-hidden chest containing a Light Charm.

- Run as far east as you can go. At the end is an X-Potion.

- Backtrack to the first southern hallway on your left and follow it south. At the southernmost end is a Dragon Fang.

- Return to the north and check the next hallway to your left. Take a left when you get the chance and keep running along the hallway. Ahead you'll find a chest containing a Zeus's Wrath and another southbound hall. Follow it until you see a gate to the north.

- Go south to find a Bacchus's Wine, then go north for a cut scene. Surprise! Head up the stairs whence it's done.

- Back to the main floor. You can leave Eternian Central Command now, if you wish, or continue onward. Head north when you're ready to progress.

- The main path splits in three directions ahead. Go west to start; you'll find a Pantheon's Wrath in a chest, as well as a door outside. This takes you to a spot large enough to land the Grandship. Fantastic.

- Back in. The northern door is locked; you'll have to head west. Hop on the elevator you find. Cut scene triggers.

- 47F. Hop off the lift and run southwest, into the central room. Start by going through the southeast passage; to the north and west of here you'll find two chests, containing a Gold Hourglass and a Lilith's Kiss.

- Back to the central chamber. Run northwest this time; you'll find another long, split hallway. Follow it north and east to find a Turbo Ether, then run south to find the stairs.

- 48F. Follow the hallway north until you reach a large, branching room. Run east to start; you'll find a small room with a blue chest you can't open. Pity. At least you know where it is.

- Return to the juncture and head southeast. Follow this lengthy path to the south to find an Assassin Dagger. Return to the central room.

- Run all the way south, then southwest. You'll find another chest, inside it Divine Fists.

- Head back north, and I mean aaaaall the way north. To the east is a door that will take you to Edea's room. You can use it to rest up, as before. This is a great spot for grinding levels and JP for the coming battles.

- Head south. Stairs and a cut scene. Ooo, ominous.

- 49F. Follow the curve of the room until you see a door on your left, leading to the outer ring of hallways. Follow it south to find a Stardust; follow it north to find stairs back to 48F, as well as a Holy Lance.

- Return to 49F and follow the spiralling hallways to the middle. Here you'll find a robed save dude, a chest with an Elixir, and an elevator. Save, heal, and hop onto the elevator.

- The big moment...

Braev

... against the big man! For all the buildup to this fight, Braev isn't that bad. He's strong, true, but he's generally focused on one thing: building up all of his BP so he can wipe one of your characters out at a time. This is painful, true, but it's also fairly easy to handle so long as your healer is ever on the job. Braev has several attacks, but they all boil down to a heck of a lot of physical damage, so there's little distinction. The rest of the time he'll be sitting in Default.

Your strategy? Easy enough: do basically the same thing. Build up your defenses and BP, then wait for Braev to get up to, say, two BP. Once he does, wail on him while your healer unleashes some anticipatory healing spells or items. Braev will attack; you'll get past the Default. Keep repeating this until he goes down. Braev will occasionally get big health boosts to the tune of 35,000 HP, but it doesn't take long to each one, and the moments amount to dramatic posturing more than anything. He's got as much health as any other boss.

- When Braev crumbles you'll receive the Templar asterisk, allowing you to harness the Grand Marshal's might. You'll also have to watch an emotional cut scene. D'aw.

- Once it's all done you'll be back on the first floor, and the way to Everlast Tower - and the Earth Crystal - will open. Wooooo!